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Cassia

Macclesfield trio Cassia are gaining popularity having toured the UK earlier this year and the release of their latest single, “Out of Her Mind”. Recently playing at Reading and Leeds Festivals, Cassia are now looking forward to their headline tour in the new year. Speaking to guitarist and singer, Rob Ellis, we find out about their album plans, playing at festivals and how the band got together.

How did the band get together?

So I started writing on my own for a while just doing bits whilst I was at school and that, Lou was teaching in the same block as my studio and we started jamming. Then we starting trying to find drummers on nights out in Macclesfield where we live and met Leff in Wetherspoons. Somehow I actually turned into a band.

What was your experience like at Reading and Leeds festival?

It was absolutely crazy! Has been a bit of a dream of ours since we all used to go as punters so was just a bit nuts to be there. Sun was out which was mint and there were tons of people at both of our sets so that was sick as well! Didn’t expect that. Met some mad people backstage as well which was cool.

What’s your favourite festival to attend and play?

To attend probably Benicassim, love the sun out there and the line-up was insane when I went. To play so far it’s been R&L but would love to do some of the summer festivals like Beni and others like that.

How would you describe your music to people who haven’t heard it?

Sunny, chilled out Afro rock.

How will you prepare for your Spring 2018 tour?

Well we’re smashing writing for a few months at the minute so we’re not thinking too much about it yet. Will probably spend about a month figuring out how we can step up the game next time round. The venues are much bigger this time and they’re looking to sell out again so that’ll be sick.

How is it hearing crowds singing along to your music?

It’s nuts. Will never get over that, it’s completely crazy really. Hearing people screaming back tunes we’ve written in our little practise room all over the UK and Europe now too is just madness. Still hasn’t sunk in so every time it happens it’s still amazing.

What does it feel like having so many streams on Spotify?

Yeah that’s mad too. Sometimes Spotify can be misleading as you may get loads of streams from playlists at restaurants and stuff like that but most of ours are organic fans listening every day. That feels a bit crazy as when you actually think about people choosing to listen to your stuff thousands of times a day it gets quite hard to compute.

What are your album plans?

Well we’re writing a lot! We want to do one as we have loads of ideas for it and stuff. Just want to make sure it comes at just the right time!

When you release an album, would you like to do a radio or signing tour to promote it?

Yeah that’d be cool! Would be class to meet everyone who wants to grab an album. It’s always mint to chat to people (still struggle to call them fans – think of them more as a sick community of Cassia people aha) so we try to do that as much as we can!

Do you have plans to take your tour to Europe?

So we’re doing a big support tour around the same time as our UK tour next year. Not sure if I’m allowed to say anything else yet but that’s in Germany so that’ll be cool! We’ve seen loads of people on Spotify listening in Europe so would be mint to go out and play more.

What would you say has been your biggest achievement as a band so far?

Maybe Radio 1 or Reading and Leeds. Recently to UTA which is a mad booking agent who look after Glass Animal and Crystal Fighters so that’s nuts. They keep mentioning awesome things for next year and we’re just like ‘are they talking about us’?! Feels amazing to have so many people invested in the band now. Having gone from only us three about a year ago!

You’ve recently released ‘Out of Her Mind’, what has the reaction been like?

Yeah the reaction was amazing! Loads of people saying it’s their favourite so far so that’s all you can ask for. There’s always a little bit of nerves when you release a second wave of stuff as you want people to love it as much as the first stuff but that seems to have happened!

Who designed your logo?

Ahh Leff did, I think he said it ended up taking like five minutes. Needed one for a poster or something and he drew it on a piece of paper and it stuck.

You’ve just performed at the Off The Record event, what was it like?

Ahh yeah that was really cool! Never know exactly what to expect at industry events like that but it was decent! Apparently there was a bit of buzz about coming to see us in the festival so that was cool!

If you were looking to add anyone to your band and you had to choose an established artist, dead or alive, who would you choose and why?

Hmmm, David Byrne from Talking Heads would be cool. Maybe Bob Marley. There’s literally so many that it’d be sick to play with and learn from and stuff.

Apart from your headline tour, what other plans do you have for 2018?

Loads of festivals, loads more music. Just stepping it up another level I think. We’re so buzzing with everything that’s happening so to keep on exploring cool music and seeing the world would be awesome.